Udall: I Did 'Everything In My Power' To Stop NSA Records Collection

Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) told the Denver Post on Thursday that he was aware the National Security Agency had been collecting the phone records of tens of thousands of Americans--and tried to stop it.

Udall said that he "did everything in my power" to raise awareness of the domestic surveillance program and bring the data collection to a halt. The senator only stopped "short of leaking classified information" because he was concerned about the program's lack of transparency.

"That’s why I’ve been fighting for years to amend the Patriot Act,” Udall told The Denver Post. “My concerns are that people need to know how the president interprets his authority under the Patriot Act … He said he was going to submit to transparency in the State of the Union … I expect him to uphold his commitment.”